REP. MARK WALKER: GOOD
AFTERNOON.
FIRSTLY, THANKS TO PASTOR DON
AND THE HOSPITALITY OF WESTOVER
CHURCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AS WE THINK ABOUT AND REFLECT ON
HOW WORDS CAREER -- I HAVE ONLY
KNOWN HIM FOR A HANDFUL OF YEARS
-- BUT IN MEETING AND SPEAKING
WITH HIM SEVERAL
TIMES, I THINK
ALL ONE WORD THAT COMES TO MY
MIND.
THAT IS THE WORD "SERVANT."
HIS TONE
AND APPROACH NEVER
WAVERED.
IN A WORLD OF POLITICALLY DRIVEN
AND CHARGED RHETORIC THAT WE
LIVE AMONGST, HOWARD CONTINUED
TO SHOW US WHAT A TRUE STATESMAN
IS.
THE APOSTLE PAUL WROTE "LET YOUR
SPEECH BE WITH GRACE.
SEASONED WITH SALT."
EVEN IN WASHINGTON,
HOWARD FOUND
A WAY TO DO THAT.
I DO NOT THINK IT HAS REALLY HIT
ME UNTIL LAST WEEK WHAT AN HONOR
IT IS TO FOLLOW THIS GREAT MAN
AND TO TRY AND SOMEHOW FILL
THESE HUGE SHOES.
I AM A LITTLE FRUSTRATED ON A
COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE WAS THE FACT THAT HE WAS
ABLE TO ATTEND EVERY STINKING
PARADE, EVERY EAGLE SCOUT
PINNING.
AND HE HAD THIS
UNCANNY ABILITY
TO KNOW EVERY HIGH SCHOOL MASCOT
FROM HERE TO WILMINGTON.
RECENTLY, A LADY CAME UP TO ME
AND SAID RIGHT IN MY FACE,
NORTHWEST.
I QUICKLY SAID THAT WAY.
[LAUGHTER]
REP. MARK WALKER: I SAID OH,
VIKINGS.
I HAVE GOT IT.
OK.
SO THANKS, HOWARD.
I APPRECIATE THAT.
A
FEW WEEKS AGO, HAD THE
PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO GO PICK
THEM UP ON A SATURDAY MORNING,
THINKING HE WOULD WANT TO GO TO
BISCUIT BILL.
NO, HE WANTED A HOT
DOG ON A
SATURDAY MORNING.
THE VFW THAT I BELIEVE SERVES
THOSE IS NOT OPEN.
HE SAYS I GOT A CONNECTION ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN.
HE POLISHED ONE WITH SLAW
AND
CHILLY IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES.
I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE FAMILY.
RAY AND RAY JUNIOR.
BRYAN.
HOWARD WOULD ALWAYS ASK ME, HOW
DID BRYAN DO IN THE CHOIR?
I WAS LONG AS HE DID NOT SING
TOO LOUD, WE DID OK.
I WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR THE
GRACE, THE ELEGANS, THAT YOU
HAVE NOT ONLY HANDLED THIS TIME
WITH BUT HIS
ENTIRE POLITICAL
LIFE.
HE REPRESENTED HIM WELL.
IN THE SENSE OF THE DRAMA YOU
SEE WITH THE FAMILIES, TRYING TO
PURSUE THE ATTENTION OF THE
CAMERA, IT WAS NEVER YOUR CASE.
THE INTEGRITY YOU SHOWED WAS
AMAZING.
YOU ARE TO BE COMMENDED TO ITS
STAFF -- YOU WERE HIS FAMILY.
HE OFTEN TALKED ABOUT YOU.
TO LOOK OUT AND SEE RYAN,
JEANINE, KURT.
MANY OF YOU GUYS WHO HAVE SERVED
WITH HIM FAITHFULLY.
BRAD, JEANINE, AND RYAN
EVEN
SERVING ON OUR STAFF NOW.
HE LOVED YOU DEARLY.
I THINK YOU PROVED HOW MUCH YOU
LOVED HIM AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR HONORING HIM.
THE ONLY TIME I EVER HEARD
HOWARD SAYING WAS I THINK HE
WORKED AN EVENT FEBRUARY OF
2014.
IN FACT, I HAVE A PICTURE OF HIM
SINGING A FEW BARS OF " BEULAH
LAND."
THAT WAS HIS FAVORITE SONG.
HE WAS ACTUALLY ON PITCH.
I WAS SURPRISED.
HE DID A GREAT JOB WITH THAT DID
AS I THINK ABOUT THAT, HOWARD IS
IN A PLACE NOW WHERE THERE IS NO
MORE SICKNESS.
NO MORE BACK PAIN.
NO MORE SKIN CANCER.
IF HE COULD BE WITH US TODAY,
I
THINK HE WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD ONE THING.
AND THAT IS TO BE SURE ABOUT
YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH
JESUS CHRIST.
NO, HE DID NOT WEAR IT ON HIS
SLEEVE.
BUT HIS CHRIST-LIKE
SPIRIT EACH
AND EVERY DAY REPRESENTED AN
AMAZING WAY.
OF COURSE, THERE MAY BE ONE MORE
THING HE WOULD WANT TO SHARE.
THAT WAS HIS JOKE ABOUT LARS AND
OLLI.
[LAUGHTER]
REP. MARK WALKER: EVERYWHERE
I
WENT AND TRAVELED WITH HIM, HE
WOULD SAY MARK WOULD LIKE ME TO
SHARE THIS JOKE.
HALF THE TIME THAT WAS TRUE.
I WILL CLOSE HERE.
ONE DAY,
LARS HAD BEEN ICE
FISHING.
HE MET UP WITH HIS BUDDY OLLIE.
HE ASKED, WHAT DO YOU HAVE?
LARS SAID, I HAVE
FISH.
OLLIE SAID IF I
GUESS HOW MANY
FISH ARE IN THAT BUCKET, WILL
YOU GIVE ME ONE?
LARS SAID
YEAH, IF YOU GUESS
BOTH, I'LL
GIVE YOU THEM.
OLLIE SAID 5.
LARS SAID YOU MISSED
IT BY 3.
SO MANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE HERE
TODAY BECAUSE OF THE LEGACY OF
HOWARD COBLE.